Method of manufacturing nuts



Feb. 24, 1931.

F. LA CKNER METHOD OF MANUFACTURING NUTS Filed July 31. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG I INVENTOR Feb. 24, 1931'.

F. LACKNER .xE-rnon OF umumcrunnie nurs Filed July 31, 1929 FIG. 1m

3 Sheets-Sha e: 2

INVENTOR fl'eder'ick L ac k her b an- ,404.41

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METHOD OF MANUFACTURING NUTS Filed m 31. 1929 a Sheets-Sheet 5 F I e d INVENTOR E M 11-, 30 7,21 Frederick Lackner' b (M MAL @JMM J kisai' ncgs Patented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDER-ICK LAGKNER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T NEELY NUT AND BOLT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA METHOD OF MANUFACTURING NUTS Application filed July 31, 1928. Serial No. 382,353.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing nuts, and consists in improvements in the methods which are indicated in my Patents No. 911,599. dated February 9,

In forming nuts from flat stock, as dis closed in the patents above noted it has been found difiicult to-prevent fins from form ing on the nuts at the edges where they are sheared from each other. The object of my invention is to provide a method of manufacturing nuts which are free from objectionable fins.

= In the accompanying drawings, I illustrate a nut-fo-rm1ng machine which is advantageous in conducting my method. Figure I is a front elevation of the shaping jaws and adjacent parts of the nut-machine; Figure II is a sectional view taken' on the plane II-,II of Figure I, showing in addition, however, the front end of the punching head of the machine; Figure III is a front elevation .of the punching head showing the relative positions of the two punches and the shear ing die; Figures IV to XIII inclusive show the stock in the various positions, following the several steps from the start to the com-' plete formation of a nut; Figure XIV is a I sectional view taken on the plane XIV-XIV ofFigure VI; Figure XV is a sectional view taken on the plane XV-XV of Figure IX; and Figure XVI isa sectional view taken on the plane XVI-XVI of Figure XIII showing the shearing matrix and the shearing die associated with the stock.

Except as hereinafter specified the nutforming machine is constructed and operated as shown and described in my patents, above 40 noted. The machine includes means operable to reciprocate the punch or die head 1, and the jaws 2 and 3 which are secured to the vertically operating slides 4 and 5 are organized with the mechanism of the nut-ma- 45. chine to be intermittently opened and closed.

. By following the several steps in the formation of a nut, my method will be understood. Initially the strip of stock A is fed into the machine to lie between the jaws 2 and 3 and .5 againstthe back wall or die 13. This post 1909, and No. 1,039,145, dated September 24,

tion is outlined in Figure IV, where it will be noted that the jaw 2 is formed with the faces a, 71, c, (I, e, and f, and that the jaw 23} has the corresponding faces a, 7), a, d, u, and f opposed thereto. The nut-machine is caused to move the jaws together-Auto the position shown in Figure V. A nut-blank B has received its first forming-contact with the machine; that is, the surfaces (1, b and a, 7) of the jaws 2 and 3 have pressed into the bar of stock A, and have partially separated and formed the nut-blank B therefrom. The surfaces b, c and b, 0 form, in this position. the first nut-forming matrix. If the vertical width of the stock A is less than the distance across the opposite corners of a hexagonal nut .(this equals the distance between the points 0 and p in Fig. V), the metal of the stock may be expanded by a punching die to completely fill the forming matrix. This will save metal, inasmuch as the metal which is often punched-out to form the hole ofthc nut, is in my practice expanded or displaced to complete the formation of the nut. For the reason that the stock is of less width than the nut, as pointed out, it is obvious that in the first matrix 5, c, 7), 0' the metal will not form a sharp cornered blank adjacent the points 0 and p.

\Vhile the jaws 2 and 3 temporarily remain inthe position illustrated in Figure V, the die head 1 is moved into the position shown in Figure II. Mounted to projeet from the face of the head are the two circular punching dies 6 and 7, and the shearing die 8. It will he noted that the die 6 is of less length than the die 7; that is, it projects a lesser distance from the face of the die head than the die 7. As the die head moves into closed position with respect to the jaws 2 and 3, the punch 6 enters the blank B and presses it to the form shown in Figures VI and XIV. 1

Next, the jaws are caused to open, and the stock is moved transversely thereof into the position shown in Figure VII. The jaws are closed again, and, as the jaws close, as indicated in Figure VIII, the blank B is seated in the second matrix, whlch 1s formed by the surfaces (l, e and (l, e; the surfaces at, b, 0

and a, b, c cooperating simultaneously to start the formation of another nut blank C. Again, with movement synchronized relatively to the operation of the jaws 2 and 3, the head 1 is closed upon the stock, and the punch 7 presses further into the blank B, leaving only a central web B (shown in Fig. XV) to be removed to complete the centrol hole of the nut, This second punching operation upon the blank B in the second matrix (Z, 6, d, 6 has been found to render a more sharply or cleanly formed hexagonal nut. The die 6, in this movement, forms the initial indentation and expansion of the blankC. 1 l

It will be notedthat the surfaces, such as the surfacesc and (Z, and c and cl", of the jaws 2 and '3 do not diverge toward the stock to similar surfaces 10 on the stock between the successive nut blanks, and in effect space the adjacent nutblanks a slight distance from each other. Arranged in the die head are two blade members 20, which, during the punching operatiompartially sever the nut blanks. Figure XV shows how the blank B is partially s'evered'at 21 from the blank C. The advantage of this'parti'al severing will presently'be'described.

After the. blank B has been punched by the die 7, the jaws are 'opened-and the stock is fed to the positionv indicated in Figure K. Figure XI shows 1 the dies closed after'the third movement of the head'has been effected, this latter die movement resulting in themitial formation and punching of the nutIblank 1). Again thejaws are opened and the stock moves" into the position shown in Figure X11, and subsequent operation of the ma the objectionable fins, referred to above, were" hitherto formed. Due to the previous operation of the blades ,*the fins, ifformed at all, are formed on the side of nut adjacent the bottom of the slot 21. The nut, however, is forcedinto the finishing matrix after it is sheared, and it is forced against the stop 32,

whereupon, the finishing punch 88'is moved to complete the central opening of the nut,

by removing the web 13. When the nut blanklis positioned within this last matrix,

1 which is formed in section to correspond to the finished nut, a substantial pressure may form a line, but in reality terminate in the narrow flat surfaces 9, which impress web betveen the successive nut blanks will be readily started upon a medial line of the web.

Upon withdrawal of the head 1 anddie 8,

' the stop 32 is moved to eject the nut-blank,

which is now ready to be tappedor internally threaded; The operation is continued to form successively other nut blanks from the stock. 7.

What I claim is:

1. The method of manufacturing nuts which comprises the 'steps'of progressively forging a'strip of metal into a series of interconnected blanks, and progressively effecting the partial separation of each blank from the other in such manner as to leave a connectingweb extending part wayof the thickness of the metal between successive blanks, and subsequently causing the shearing of each of such connecting webs, in which shearing operation the .web portions remaining upon the nut blanks are forged into coinciden't planes with the faces f said blanks. '2. The/method of manufacturing nuts which comprises tlie-stepsof progressively shaping astrip of metal into a series of interconne'cted blanks, effecting the partial separation of each blank from the other in such manner as to leave a'connecting web extending partway of the tliiCl-ZilOSS'bf' the metal between successive blanks, detaching such blanks from each other by causing a separati on along said connecting webs, and forcing the remaining web portions into the faces'of said blanks, as described; i 7

The method of manufacturing iiuts which comprises thesteps of shaping a strip of metal into a series of interconnected blanks, effecting a partial separation of each blank from the other in such manner as to leave a connecting web of metal between successive blanks, detaching such blanks from v each other by causing a separation along said connecting webs, and forcing the remaining web portionsinto the faces of said blanks, as described. a r a 4-. The method of manufacturing nuts WlllOllCOHlPIlSQS the steps of shaping a strip of metal into a series of interconnected" blanks, effecting the partial separation of each blank from the other in such manner as to leave aconnecting web of metal between successi've blanks, displacing the metal to form a hole part way through each blank, de-

ing a separation along While forcing the Web In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 7

FREDERICK LACKNER. 

